Witness Kapllan Parduz relates how he was wounded and met Salih Mustaf

Kapan Parduz is the eighth defence witness to Salih Mustaf, who today before the court in The Hague has spoken of meetings with the accused who, according to him, took place in July 1998. Witness Parduzica pointed to his injury on April 10, 1999, and where he was treated and how he was attempted to send it to Macedonia for healing. While also showing how he was helped by Salih Mustafa.

The witness, Kaplan Parduz, said that for the first time, Salih Mustaf has met him most likely in Bajgora because in his opinion, Mustafa brought people to the KLA to recruit.

Kaplaan Parduz indicated that by May 1998 it was part of the Kosovo Liberation Army, the 151 Brigade, respectively.

Parduz has answered the lawyer's questions, Betim Shala.

Lawyer Shala: Salih Mustafen from what time period do you know him?

Witness: I physically know him from 1998, but as Salih, I know him very early because he was persecuted, he also wrote the press and I recognized him by means of the press as a name but physically in 9850.

Lawyer Shala: Where did you first meet in 1998 if remembered?

Witness: I may be wrong, but either in Bajgorga or in Zabergi, it's probably more likely in Baygora because at that time it brought people who wanted to lock in the KLA, to its ranks, and brought them to military exercises.

Lawyer Shala: Do you remember if you had personal contact and how long it took?

Witness: If we had contact because it was absurd not to meet, we said goodbye, we could say maximum one hour, it could be less but no more.

Lawyer Shala: You said that Salih Mustaf you met in 1998. Do you remember the date or the month of 1998 you met Salih Mustaf?

Witness: The date can't be remembered because we haven't kept a note, the month may have been July, but it might be July approximately if I'm not accurate.

Lawyer Shala: During that meeting were you interested in the 1998 Salih Mustaf activity?

Witness: Salih Mustafa's event has also been my activity because we've had one goal, has been the finding of KLA ranks, it has been.

Lawyer Shala asked witness Parduz if he was in Dallas and why he was there.

Parduz said it was 4-5 times to send weapons, and that he's got clothes and food he sent to Bradash.

Lawyer: During 1998 and until June 1999, have you personally been to the village of Zlath?

Witness: Yeah, I was.

Lawyer: How many times have you been?

Witness: I used to send a couple of guns and ammo to 98 was 2 or 3 times, a total of 4-5 times.

Lawyer: The first time you went to Dallas in 1998, do you remember what month or date of 1998 you were there?

Witness: The dates are very rare to remember because we haven't been able to keep journals and notes and to mark the date because it was life too dynamic, events have developed very dynamic and unfortunately dramatic, if I'm not mistaken, I've been sending some October 9850 weapons and ammunition and I've got kidney, food aid from Zlash because it's been a collection point center for help throughout the area.

Witness: I've taken the Armadation to 151st Brigade in Bradash.

The eighth Witness in the case of Salih Mustaf indicated that 23 years since he was injured yesterday, April 10th.

He said he was very badly injured and his friends carried him to Turuqica and then sent him to an improvised hospital in the village of Potok, where, in the majority of the way, he was secured by Salih Mustafa.

On April 10, 1999, it doesn't know if it's coincidence or intentional, it's 23 years last Saturday, and 23 years later, it's in front of the Special Chambers... I've been too badly injured to command Leka but it's easier that he's been fighting all day and I've been carrying some friends to the village of Turukic... From there we had the improvised hospital in the village of Potok”, Parduz said.

At the improvised hospital in Potok, he said he stayed somewhere until the end of April 1999, where they later moved to the village of Popovo because of daily combat and promotion.

From the village of Popovo, Parduz said they were taken and sent to Zlash, with the intention of deporting it from there to Tetovo, for further recovery.

And in Zlatko he said how much he certainly remembers was somewhere in late April or early May, but stressed that he was not safe - this was the first attempt to cross into Macedonia that had not succeeded. Meanwhile, he said he had seen Salih Mustaf in Zlat, pass through.

Lawyer: At the end of April and early May 1999, when you went to Zlatko in order to transport you to Macedonia, have you met Salih Mustaf?

Witness: Yeah, I've seen it pass by.

Lawyer: Do you remember the first time you were in Zlath late April and early May 1999, when I said the first time you tried to go to Macedonia, do you remember where you were determined?

The witness: I remember.

Lawyer: Can you tell us where?

Witness: Yeah, in an improvised private house I don't know what to say to an ambulance, I'm calling it a hospital condition, because it hasn't been a hospital, but it's kind of a vacation and I can get primary transfusion services, injections and so on.

According to him, the second attempt was made about May 20th, or it could be May 15th, where this time they successfully made it to Macedonia and that Salih Mustafa had personally forwarded to a village.

In Kosovo's Specialised Chambers in The Hague, the trial process is continuing against former KLA member Salih Mustafa.

Mustafa was arrested on September 24, 2020, with the claim of war crimes.

According to the Specialised Chambers “The confirmed indictment stipulates that approximately between April 1st 1999 and April 19, 1999, at a detention complex in Zlatko, Kosovo, arbitrary detention crimes, cruel treatment and torture against at least six persons” were committed. Also, in the indictment it is said that “in a date between April 19, 1999, or about this date, and about the end of April 1999, a banned “was killed at that location.

Salih Mustafa is staying in custody at The Hague, while in his appearance before the court he has been declared innocent.